September 30, 2008

Say Cheese!

So, after my good friend and creative genius, Pritsana Kootint, hooked me up with fantastic hair and make-up, I'm now sitting at my desk, writing this AM's entry and waiting for the photographer from Entrepreneur Magazine to set up his equipment. Yep, Calixto and I have a shoot this AM for a short piece that's running in what I think is the mag's December issue. Pretty cool, huh? Our publicist, Gabrielle Bernstein, hooked it up and we're super psyched b/c it's a great pub and it'd be fantastic if the item caught the eye of some potential sponsors/partners/investors. Wouldn't that be just swell? Either way, we're honored to have the opportunity. So, big shout out thanks to Gab and Prits (check out spoonandforkstudio.com). Gotta run; more later...

~L
P.L.H.H.

September 29, 2008

TGIM!

My dad always told my brothers and me if you dread Monday AM's, you should rethink your job and, potentially, even your career path. That's one of his many "Herbisms", as I like to call them -- seemingly little life lessons that have a big impact when you really consider them. I took that particular Herbism to heart about a decade ago when I quit my job at an indie film studio and started a boutique entertainment marketing consulting firm, which, in turn, led me to my biz partner, the festival &, ultimately, Cinedulce. Who can predict these things, right? Trust me, if you had asked me in high school what I thought I'd be doing professionally, it definitely wouldn't be this. I mean, I'm from Long Island, for Pete's sake - what the hell did I know about Washington Heights? But, here I am, an honorary Latina with a deep love for my Latino peeps, community and culture. But, that's the beauty of life, right? The unpredictability. The discovery. The evolution. You just have to keep following your gut and your heart, let life's story unfold & believe it will all work out in the end. Despite the many challenges we're facing as entrepreneurs (esp. in this horrendeous economy), I have never loved a job as much as this, and I have never felt more strongly about an idea, a goal, a vision.

That said, on Friday, I had two great calls with potential NYILFF/Cinedulce sponsors AND a potential cable partner for VOD online and on-air. The cable deal likely wouldn't kick in until late 2009 or early 2010, but that would be killer - exactly the type of distribution deal we're seeking for our filmmakers and library. They need content; we have it...where do I sign? ;)

Okay, back to work. Remember to think about it: were you dreading this AM or looking forward to another week of adventures in jobville?

P.L.H.H.

September 26, 2008

Our new blog!

Hi!

Finally! The Cinedulce blog...phew. I've been meaning to do this for months. Better late than never, right?

Okay, so my name is Liz, and I'm the president of Cinedulce (www.Cinedulce.com). My biz partner, Calixto, and I also co-run/own the NY Int'l Latino Film Festival (www.NYLatinoFilm.com), presented by HBO (gotta show the love!). About a 18 +/- months ago, we decided to start Cinedulce, which, if all goes well, will be the leading distribution platform for Latino and Urban film. Neither of us has started a company on this level, so it's pretty insane but also really exciting b/c we totally believe we can build an awesome company that provides valuable distribution opps for the talented artists we know and also exposes folks worldwide to these incredible films that deserve an audience. Simple, right?? If only... ;)

Anyhoodles, I decided this experience has already been so unbelievable, it might be fun to chronicle it on this, here, blog. We're obviously not the only entrepreneurs out there trying to follow a dream. Maybe you can relate to what we're going through, maybe not. Maybe you'll just enjoy reading about the ridiculous ups and downs of the process. Either way, I'm diggin' this whole blog thing, so I'm gonna take you on our ride.

Look out for daily updates and be our friend on Facebook, which forced us to have a last name so our profile name is Cinedulce Puntocom (thanks to our intern, Michelle, for that genius and hilarious solution!). And, of course, check out the awesome movies on Cinedulce.com and sign up for our newsletter so you get updates on new films, channels, filmmaker interviews, etc. All good stuff.

For those in NYC, stay dry. For everyone else, stay cool.

Viva Cine Latina! ;)

~ Liz